I have long been interested in Irish history but could never quite grasp the centuries of convoluted struggle with Great Britain. This book was invaluable in deepening my understanding of some of the bigger events and figures and I happened to read it shortly before viewing the film The Wind That Shakes The Barley so that I was able to enjoy it with greater sympathy and understanding.Good supplements to this are How The Irish Saved Civilization by Thomas Cahill and Ireland:A Novel by Frank Delaney.